In the Second Semifinal of RodeoHouston, the biggest story was reigning World Champions and RodeoHouston champions Riley Webb, Rocker Steiner and Kassie Mowry winning the round.

They did the exact same thing in the Shootout. Three athletes who were propelled to the top of the sport, in large part thanks to Houston a year ago, put themselves in the exact same position again in 2026.

Riley Webb and the rest of the tie-down ropers in the Shootout got things started on the right note, with Webb shattering the arena record with a 6.5 and showing arguably more passion than he does at the NFR, letting out multiple celebratory screams before throwing his hat.

The celebration could have been twofold: Not only was Webb the recipient of the $65,000 payday, but he also retook his place at the top of the World Standings as the three-time reigning World Champion, besting a 7.2 from 16-time NFR qualifier Shane Hanchey and a 7.3 from previous World No. 1 Kincade Henry in the process. The previous arena record was 7.4; all three of them beat it.

Webb came into the Finals of RodeoHouston trailing Henry by about $20,000 and now leads him by about $20,000.

In the very next event, Rocker Steiner watched Bradlee Miller and Wacey Schalla ride for 89.5 and 89 points in front of him before exploding for 90.5 on Disco Party, the same horse and score that secured his World Title in Round 10 of the 2025 NFR.

“This day could not be any better, but I can’t tell you I’m surprised,” Steiner said. “This is everything a Horse of the Year, big and stout, jumping in the air and stalling out, letting a guy like me do exactly what I can do, show off for the fans and win big money.”

In barrel racing, it was incredibly close once again between two legendary tandems — Kassie Mowry and Jarvis, and Hailey Kinsel and Sister. Last year, it was Mowry by 0.01 seconds. This year, it was Mowry by 0.03 seconds, 14.19 to 14.22.

Mowry was the only barrel racer to have three times faster than 14.20; she had three.

“This is huge, this really helps me. I can’t spend a lot of time on the road with my colts, so this makes a huge difference for me having this big chunk of money won,” she said.

Another athlete who added to his legacy Saturday was Stetson Wright, who won the bronc riding in Houston for the first time in his career. After matching Shorty Garrett’s 89-point ride, he defeated the South Dakotan in a ride-off to get the $65,000 payday.

He is now No. 1 with $130,592 this season, leading his brother Rusty by about $20,000. The next closest bronc rider is Kade Bruno with $70,452.

“My brothers and uncle and dad have all done good here,” Stetson said. “I knew my time was right around the corner, I just didn’t know when. I am glad it was tonight though.”

Wright is not the only member of a famous rodeo family to add his name to the RodeoHouston history books. After a second-place finish a year ago, Holden Myers finished on top in 2026 with a 4.0-second run. His four clean times in Houston were 4.0, 4.2, 4.8 and 4.0.

In 2025, he missed the NFR by about $10,000. Houston could very well be the reason the 26-year-old punches his ticket in 2026. Myers is No. 1 by about $25,000.

Team roping featured a pair looking for their first National Finals appearance get a big win as well. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman were 4.6 seconds to best Jake Smith/Douglas Rich by one-tenth of a second. Showing the value of surviving and advancing, Rice/Freeman were 5.1 in the Championship Round to get the fourth spot in the Shootout. They were also fourth in their Semifinal.

It is undoubtedly a season-changing win for Rice/Freeman, as they last won a check in early January at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo.

In bull riding, Canadian Jake Gardner was a perfect 6-for-6 and the only one to make the whistle in the Shootout, riding for 86 points on Cervi’s Bandalero. It is a win that will likely change the calculation for the British Columbia native. Gardner typically only goes to about 20 rodeos in the States annually, splitting his time between trying to make the NFR, CFR and PBR Canada Finals.

He finished 17th in the PRCA in 2024, but never has he had such a good opportunity to make his first NFR. Last year, his season in the U.S. ended after July’s NFR Open. Don’t expect that this time around, because he is No. 1 in the World with $78,939, almost all of it coming from Houston. Another $50,000 or so in the next seven months, and he will be in Las Vegas.

In breakaway roping, Hali Williams won Houston for the second time in the last four years. She was 2.6 in the Shootout to best the runner-up, reigning World Champion Taylor Munsell, by 1.2 seconds.

“That was a very ugly loop,” Williams, who was first out in the Final Four, said. “But I knew if I didn’t throw, it wouldn’t put enough pressure on the girls behind me, and they would just have to go catch.”